Electric-railway system



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. J. WIGHTMAN. -BLEGTRIG RAILWAY SYSTEM.

Patnted Deo. 14,1897.

-WITNESSES:

(No Model.) v 4 shVeets-shf 2.

M. J. WIG-HTMAN.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM- 'WITNEssEsg (No Model.)

M J. WIGHTMAN.

v ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.r

No. 595,590. Patented Dec. 14,1897.

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Patented Dec. 14, 1897.

INVENTOR d um ATTORBIZ.

WI T NESSES:

e UNITED STATES PATENT (MEME.

, MERLE J. WIGHTMAN, OF SORANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,590, dated December 14, 1897.

Application sled Anglia 1o, i896.

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern.:

Be it known that l, MERLE J. WIGHTMAN, of Scranton, county of Lackawanna, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulv Improvements in Electric Railway Systems, of which the following is a true and exact description, due reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of railways employing disconnected working conductors, which are secured above a continuous flexible conductor connected to the source of supply, and equipped with traveling magnets for lifting the flexible conductor so as to temporarily close the circuit between the source of supply and one or more of the disconnectedworking conductors.

One object of my invention is to provide means for distributing the magnetic iield of the traveling magnet in such a way that a uniform pull is exerted upon the flexible conductor throughout the greatest possible length thereof. By so doing I am enabled to considerably economize in the expenditure of energy, and am also enabled to raise into di-A rect contact a larger portion of the Iiexible conductor, which reduces the arc formed when the flexible conductor falls, lowers the resistance of the circuit, and removes any danger of the exible conductor welding fast in its upper position. This object I attain by placing the working conductors entirely outside the sealed conduit and connecting to these a series of vertical projections which carry the magnetic lines downward from each working conductor by several paths. Opposite these projections or plugs are longitudinal plates which form a part of the magnetic path and to which the magnetism passes from the plugs by means of the iiexible conductor. As will be hereinafter more fully set forth, this causes the pull upon the ribbon to be exerted at a large number of places, and in fact this pull becomes a substantially uniform one throughout the length of the magnet.

Another object of my invention is the provision of means to prevent creeping of the iiexible conductor and at the same time pre- A vent the influence of changing temperature from altering the proper degree of tension in the conductor. This object I attain by providing a tension device which is secured to Asection of the track and conduit.

4Serial No.v 602,271. (No model.)

the ends of each section of flexible conductor and retains the conductor at a fixed tension at all times.

My invention also consists in the improved arrangement, construction, and combination of parts of the conduit, circuit connections therein, the magnet and collecting-shoe,and other details which enable me to provide a highly safe and efficient railway system which I believe avoids the dangers to which previous railways of this type have been subject.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a portion of track embodying my invention and showing the track in cross-section. This figure also shows the car-truck on the track. Fig. 2 shows to larger scale a cross- Fig. 3 is a top view of a portion of my conduit. Fig. 4 is a side view of the same, but with the side of the chamber removed. Fig. 5 is a top view of' the chamber, the covering having been removed. Fig. 6 is a view of the bottom of the top of the conduit. Fig. 7 is a top View of a section-box, as will be hereinafter described. Fig. 8 is an end view thereof, and Figs. 9 and l0 respectively longitudinal and transverse sections through the same. Fig. ll shows the magnet and collecting-shoe.

In general terms a railway constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention contains the following features: 'Placed in the road-bed between and extending parallel with the track-rails is a continuous conduit containing a iiexibleelectric conductor, preferably in the shape of a thin flat ribbon, which conductor is adapted to be magnetically influenced. On top of the conduit are short discontinuous sections of contact-bar extending upward, so as to project slightly above the road-bed. On the car is mounted an electromagnet extending parallel with the circuit and having its poles approaching closely to or rolling upon the contact-bar. There is also a shoe carried by the car and adapted to collect the current from the contact-bar and deliver it to the wires running to the motor.

Referring to Fig. 2, the body proper of the conduit is formed of wood on account of its cheapness and non-magnetic qualities, and is made in four pieces-the top t, bottom b, and

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sides a. Secured to the top t are the sections of the contact-bar C, which, as before said, extend upward above the street-surface. This contact-bar is secured to the top by means of the plugs I) and rivets r,which pass through the top, the plugs terminating in an enlarged head and the rivets heilig secured to the plates p. Referring to Fig. (i, it will be seen that the plates p and the plugs P alternate from side to side-that is to say, on cach side of the center of the top there is flrsta series of plates and then a series of plugs, the plugs always being opposite to plates. The plugs are also of much greater eross-seetion than the rivets r, it being the intention that as little magnetism as possible shall pass down through the rivets and as much as possible through the plugs.

Both the plugs and plates, as will be seen in Fig. 2, have their lower surfaces within the conduit-chamber, and immediately beneath them the ribbon or flexible strip S, supported upon the insulators I. These insulators are preferably of porcelain and are so arranged that the ribbon is held up oli' the bottom of the conduit, and thus safely insulated from any dampness in the bottoni of the conduit. By the arrangement of plugs and plates shown the magnetism from the magnet passes down through the contact-bar C and plugs P',thence across to the plate p, and along to the next contact-bar, and to the other pole of the magnet, the construction of which will be mor fully described later.

An examination of the arrangement of plugs and plates as described above and as shown in Fig. 6 when compared with the arrangement of the magnets as shown in Fig. Il will make evident the economical and even distribution of the magnetic field in its passage throughthe ribbon. The poles of the magnets are always over different contact-bars. The magnetism will therefore pass downward through one contact-bar, thence through the several plugs P, thence, picking up the ribbon, they pass to the plates p until they reach the space between the contact-bars, when the lines of force pass from the plates 1J on one side of the ribbon to the plate p at the opposite side thereof, and thence the lines of force pass across to the four plugs to the second pole of the magnet.

It will be noted that with the specific arrangement shown in Figs. o and ll, as has just been described, there are nine distinct places at which the magnetic lines will tend to pass transversely through the ribbon to complete the circuit. This is practically equivalent to a continuous transverse passage throughout the length of the magnet. I have in what I have just said neglected those lines of force which will pass downward through the rivets o', for these form such inconsiderable port-ion of the whole that they need not be considered.

To support and protect the wooden conduit, I provide the metal trough T,in which it rests,

and I secure the whole together by means of the clamps I3. The whole is preferably embedded in a body of asphalt A.

In order to insure against leakage of current from one contact -rail C to the next through the clamps B and trough T, I provide the sheet of insulatingmaterial V,which is placed between the contact-rail and top t before the two are secured together, and before the clamps B are applied it is folded over so as to envelop the lower portion of the contaetrail and entirely insulate the same from the surrounding material.

I shall now proceed to describe the means which I employ for retaining the ribbon at a iixed tension,so as to prevent any tendency of its being carried along bodily by the travel of the magnetic field and so as to prevent its becoming too tight or too loose under the influence of varying temperatures. 'lo prevent anything of this character, I divide the ribbon into sections of suitable lengthsay five hundred feet-and between the sections I place the section-box. (Shown in Figs. 7 to 10.) It will be understood that when I use the term continuous in the specification and claims I mean continuous as far as each section is concerned-that is, for a distance of several hundred feet, more or less. This section-box is of the same length as a section of contact-bar C and takes the place of one in the line. It is composed of the frame F, fastened to the top of the conduit, a portion of the top 1f of which is removed at this point. NVithin the frame and secured to it through the medium of the insulating wooden blocks d is the fuse-board j'. On this are mounted the feeder-terminals g and ribbon-terminals g. These last terminals are connected, through the bolts sh0wn,to the ribbon-clamps h, which are preferably of brass. To one of these the ribbon is securely clamped; but through the other the ribbon is allowed to remain loose, this last clamp carrying upon a pair of brackets the drum D, around which the end of that ribbon is passed and to which it is secured. Also passing around this drum are the two flexible cords shown and to which are attached the weight IV, the whole being arranged, as shown, so that the weight maintains at all times a steady and constant tension upon the ribbon. The pipe E, in which the weights hang, may also be used as a drain for the conduit. The box is rendered watertight by means of the inner cover Il, which may be used as a suitable packing-gasket beneath. The top cover L affords a protection to the inner cover.

The form of the magnet I have shown in Fig. Il. The central portion is preferably elevated su fciently to allow placing the shoe E beneath it. The ends are then preferably inclined downward toward the contact-rail and are provided with shoes, as shown, or rollers upon which it may roll along the rail C. The shoe E is iexibly secured to the magnet by means of the hinged spring c or any ICO IIO

other similar device whereby the shoe may have a freedom of movement to compensate for the inequalities of the track. The coils are placed on the magnet, as shown at c', and they may be energized by means of secondary batteries carried by the car or by the maincircuitinanyconvenientmanner. Such connections being well known I have not shown them.

It is clear that equivalent details of construction andarran gement may take the place of vmany of the embodiments of my invention which I have here shown and described, and

that I therefore may vary such details in many ways without departing outside the -Scope of my invention.

Having thus described Inyinvention, what I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. I-n an electric railway employing disconnected sections of working conductor and a continuous iiexible current-conveyer adapted by magnetic attraction to close the circuit between said sections and the source of supply, a plurality of downward projections on each of said conductor-sections against which the flexible conveyer contacts when magnetically actuated.

2. The combination with a pair of disconnected sections of working conductor, a continuous flexible current conveyer beneath said sections, a magnet having one pole over each section, and means for providing a plurality of transverse paths through the current-conveyer under each of the said sections.

3. In an electric railway employing a continuous flexible conductor in circuit with the source of supply and adapted to be lifted by magnetic attraction to close the circuit between the source of supply and disconnected working conductors, the combination with the Aclosed conduit containing the iiexible conductor and beneath the working conductor, of a traveling magnet and a plurality of magnetizable members passing downward from each working conductor and passing through the walls'of the conduit.

4. In anelectric railway employing a continuous flexible conductor adapted to be lifted by magnetic attraction to close the circuit between the sou'rce of supply and discontinuous4 working conductors, and a traveling magnet for lifting said flexible conductor, the combination with the conduit and the working conductoroutside the said conduit, of a plurality of magnetic conductors connecting each section of the working conductor with the interior of the conduit.

5. In an electric railway a continuous conduit containing a current-conveyer, in combination with a conductor-rail above and outside of said conduit, downward projections therefrom passing through the wall of the conduit and terminating above one side of the current-conveyer, and longitudinal magnetic conductors within the conduit, opposite the line of downward projections and above the other side of the current-conveyer.

6. The combinationl of a ribbon, a conduit surrounding the same, alternately-arranged longitudinalv magnetic conductors and vertical magnetic conductors above each side of the ribbon, discontinuous magnetic conductors outside of the conduit, magnetically connected with the vertical magnetic conductors and a traveling magnet having poles in longitudinal alinement with each other.

7. In an electric railway a traveling magnet having poles in longitudinal alinement and a magnetic path to be bridged by said poles comprising in the order named a rail, vertical projections therefrom into the interior of the conduit, a continuous current-conveyer arranged to contact at one side with the terminals of the downward projections, longitudinal members within the conduit with which the other side of the current-conveyer contacts, the current-conveyer again, other longitudinal members with which the firstmentioned side of the current-conveyer contacts, vertical projections with which the said other side of the current-conveyer contacts, and a second rail to which said last-mentioned projections are connected.

8. The combination of the top, side and base members composing the conduit, the insulated cables resting directly on the bottom member thereof, the insulators I supported on recesses in said side members, and a flexible bared conductor resting on said insulators and held thereby from contact with the conduit proper.

9. A section-box for electric railways of the class described, said box comprising a frame having means for rigidly securing the end of` one of the flexible-conductor terminals and means whereby an even tension may be maintained on the adjoining terminal.

l0. In an electric-railway system in combination, a continuous closed conduit adapted to contain a iiexible conductor, a continuous iiexible conductor within said'conduit and a tension device adapted to maintain the conductor under a fixed tension.

ll. In an electric railway of the system described, in combination a continuous closed conduit, a flexible conductor within said conduit, a stationary clamp at one end of the conductor adapted to rigidly hold the same and a device at the other end of the conductor adapted to hold the same and maintain therein a fixed tension.

l2. `In an electric railway of the system described, in combination with the adjacent ends of two sections of the conduit, a sectionbox interposed between them, said sectionbo'x containing a xed terminal adapted to hold rigidly the end of one section of conductor and a tension-compensating device adapted to hold the end of the other section of conductor.

13. A conduit and continuous iiexible con- IOO IIO

ductor therein adapted to be lifted by magnetic attraction and rigidly secured at one end by a suitable clamp and at the other end wound about a weighted roller.

14. The combination with feeders in connection with the source of supply, a closed conduit, section -boxes through which said conduit passes, a flexible conductor within said conduit, each section of which has terminals in different section-boxes and a connecting-board Within the section-box for electrically connecting the feeders and flexible conductor.

l5. The combination of a magnet, a collecting-shoe carried between the poles thereof, disconnected contact-sections, a closed conduit below said sections, members passing through the walls thereof connecting the contact-sections electrically and magnetically MERLE J. VIGHTMAN.

Vitnesses:

A. HETTCHE, H. W. PUTNAM. 

